The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-10-14

gentlemen might not like the company
of stranger"
"Look here. my dear boyr' cried
Gusts. Indignantly, ''don't You 60 to
calling yourself a stranger. Why.
bless you! you and George will just fill
the biil-make square game of it
Will you 60 with us?'
He went gladly. He went with all
his heart. And his heart never felt so
large, nor so warm, nor so full of ca
ger desire for enjoyment. as it felt at
that moment They went out-the
four of them-and ere long thereafter
were in a moderate-sized. very taste
fully and artistically furnished club
room. with a large. elegant side-board
at one end. on which were bottles, de-
canters, and glasses. innumerable;
with two walters in attendance.
There were dozen gentlemen in the
room when our party entered, sitting
at different tables. engaged at card
playing; and Seth saw gold, and silver.
and bank-notes on the tables. Custis
led the way to a far corner, where the
glare of the innumerable gas-jets was
somewhat subducd, and where there
was an empty table.
"Ben!" to one of the walters, who
had answered the call of an electric
bella pack of cards. and-Gentle-
men. you'll leave this to me-and four
rum-and-brandy punches.
The cards and the punches were
brought. The punches were drank.
with sparkling wit and sentiment; and
then Alec. Astor took the cards.
"Say! Upon my word. I'd like, just
for the fun of it, to try few rounds of
poker"
mo. no." said Hamilton promptly.
II should be agrecable-in fact should
enjoy it-but Mr.. Applebec is under
my friendly guidance and feel that l
have no.
"Hor on. ole fellow!" interrupted
Seth, almost Indignantly. D'you s'pose
L can't play poker? Ho! shove along
the buck (hic), an I'll show your
"Good! That's glorious"' said Gus
tbs. happily. "We'll have a nice little
time all to ourselves. And. say.
Applebee, old fellow, don't go to play
ing any of your Pumpton tricks on
u.s."
"Oh! I'll play square, don't you fear"
And they went at it. Seth had
found the elephant. but he did not
know it. He knew it not then, though
he had a reminder of the fact later.
He had fallen in with three confed-
crates. whose business it was to entrap
and fleece whomsoever they could
three black-legs of the most unscrupu-
lous yet accomplished character. Per-
haps sharp-eyed newspaper man. or
a keen policeman of experience, might
have detected something of their char
acter in their faces and general appear
ance, but the casual observer could not
have seen it.
The man called Hamilton had spotted
the victim when he landed on the pier,
and had not again lost sight of him.
In his conversation with him in the Of
flee of the hotel he had learned that he
come to the city to pur-
chase a large quantity of goods; and.
furthermore, that he would pay cash
for them. That was enough. The man
who had the cash for such goods as the
Pumpton merchant contemplated pur-
chasing was the man wanted.
The man called GUSTS had been on
the sidewalk, and Hamilton had brushed
against him, as they left the public
house. Then Gusts had gone and no.
titled the man called Alec Astor. And
so, in the end. the elephant had been
brought forth.
At first Seth won small sums. Then
he drank another Internationally
punch. BY and by the stakes incrcased;
and at length came the grand turning
point.
A hand-fivc carlsbad been dealt
to Seth which was wonderful. Four
jacks. He couldn't let it pass. He-bet
the last dollar he had. Gusts .'saw
him." and "raiscd him. hundred
dollars, that is-bet :, hundred more.
Seth must cover it. or lose all he had
put on the board, and give up that
magnificent hand. 1t was by far the
best hand that had appeared during
the evening.
'.What do you do, Applebec3"
"Say-rve got check-rll put that
down for hundred dollars. and call. ;"
..Then you won't go hundred bet
ter?''
"Yes. by thunder! 1 will! Isee that
hundred, and rll-co-@o-rii-gO-
You five hundred bctterr'
whats the amount of the check?''
Three thousand dollars! Irathe--
Nic)-think that's good
"All right. Suppose l cash it"
"That'l do"
The check was cashed.
The five hundred dollars which Seth
had bet was covered by an equal
amount, and Gusts raised it a thousand
more. Seth looked at his hand. Could
he let it go? No. He saw the thou
san covered it with a thousand dol
lars of his own, and called.
what you got?'
Gusts threw down four queens. Alas!
for Seth's poor jacks. But he would
not give it up so. His frien Hamilton.
who sympathized with him deeply. and
promised to see him safe through it,
advised him to have his reyenge-to 60
at Gusts and Astor with all the pluck
he could nuSter- And he took the adj